[gothic-l] Re: Runic Influences

[Tim O'Neill]

dirk at smra.co.uk wrote:
>
> --- In gothic-l at egroups.com, Tore Gannholm <tore.gannholm at s...> wrote:
> >
> > Bertil,
> > Here follows an extract from "Origin of Svear"

[snip]

> I think the author of the above text from 'origin of Svear' is in
> danger of over interpreting archaeological finds.

I made very much the same point when I had a similar
discussion with Tore last year.  Put simply - there is
no evidence of any Ostrogothic settlement in England
whatsoever.

> The fact that
> Ostrogothic/Italian artefacts have been found in Anglo-Saxons burrials
> does not afford a migration of Ostrogoths to Anglo-Saxon Britain.

If any Ostrogothic artefacts had been found in England it
*may* be evidence of such a migration happened.  None have
been found.  The closest Tore's extract got to such a find
is an eastern dish from Sutton Hoo from the same time as
the Ostrogoth kingdom in Italy, which is hardly the same
thing. The Sutton Hoo finds included artefacts from all
over Europe, from Ireland to Byzantium.

[snip]

> Also, their is a great danger of overinterpreting Procopius. Authors
> like W. Goffart "Narrators of Barbarian History" and Avril Cameron
> "Procopius and the 6th Century" have demonstrated that writers like
> Procopius and Jordanes cannot be taken at face value.

Procopius also simply says the missing Ostrogoths left
Italy.  Why this would mean that they went to Britain,
instead of joining compatriots much closer to the
former Italian kingdom is something this 'British
Ostrogoths' theory doesn't explain.


> Also, the Sutton Hoo burrial also contains items from other places.
> Consider for example the 30 or so gold tremisses (gold coins) of
> Frankish-Merowingian origin. Each one is from a different Frankish
> mint, which is apparently quite unusual to find in one hoard. At any
> rate, this confirms some links with the Franks, (trade, gift
> exchange, plunder, ransom etc. are possible).

And even the often cited link between Sutton Hoo and the
Vendel/Valsgarde finds is, at best, a supposition.

> Overall, I think to argue for an Ostrogothic migration to England, it
> would require much more compelling evidence.

Definitely.

Cheers,

Tim O'Neill

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